Scbeen ok stk-ainer fop



Jan 2?, 1925.

C. H. BENCKENSTEIN SCREEN OR STRAINER FOR WELLS Filed May '7', 1921 jwuentoz Camus flfimclmsmlv Patented Jan. 27, 1925.

PATEN,

CHARLES H. IBENCKENSTEIN, OF VINTOII, LOUISIANA.

SCREEN OR STE-AIMEE FOR ELLS.

Application filed May 7, 1921.

To aZZ whom it may concern.

Be it known that 1, CHARLES H. BENCK ENSTEIN, a citizen of the United States, residing at Vinton, inthe parish of Calcasieu and State of Louisiana, have ini vented certain new and useful Improveunents in Screens or Strainers for Wells, of which thenfollowing' is a full,,,clear, and exact, description thereof.

My invention relates to screens or strainers adapted to be used in connection with the drilling of oil or other wells by rotary, and one of the objects of my invention is to provide a screen in the drill pipe, whereby the clogging of the holes in the drilling bit is prevented.

A further object of my invention is to provide a screen of this character which can readily be adapted to fit any size drill stem.

Another purpose of the invention resides in the provision of a screen which can be quickly and easily secured in place in any collar connecting any two joints of the drill stem.

In the drilling of a well by rotary a constant stream of water is pumped from a slush pit into the drill pipe or stem. This water flows down the drill pipe and passes through passages in the drilling bit into the hole. In the present practice it often happens that dirt or trash in the water pumped into the well fills and clogs the passages in the drilling bit, which necessitates the pulling out of all of the drill pipe in order that the small passages in the bit may be cleared. One of the purposes of the present invention is to prevent this clogging of the drill bit by inserting a screen in the drill pipe at some point between the bit and the top of the drill. pipe, particularly at the top of the last tripple, for reasons which will appear hereinafter.

Obviously many changes and modifications may be made in my invention as shown and described herein, without departing from the spirit of the invention, and it is therefore to be understood that the drawings forming part of this specification, are to be considered in an illustrative rather than a limiting sense.

In the drawings:

,Figure l is a vertical sectional view of Serial No. 467,701.

a drill pipe, the screen and drilling bit being in elevation. i

Figure :2 is a vertical sectional view of the screen; and,

Figure 3 is an enlarged detail view more clearlyshowing the manner in which the screen is mounted in the drill pipe.

With reference to Figure 1, the drill pipe or stemindicated by numeral 1 is shown broken away to represent the distance between the top of the drill pipe in which the screen is preferably mounted, and the lbottom of the drill pipe carrying the drill 1t.

The elongated body portion of the screen designated by the numeral 2 is provided with the usual apertures 3; and the top of the cylindrical body portion is screw threaded on the outside by means of which the flange a is detachably connected to the body portion.

Numeral 5 indicates the usual coupling for connecting th drill pipe sections, and which in the present instance serves the further function of securing the screen in place in the drill pipe, as will clearly appear hereinafter.

Numeral 6 refers to a conventional drilling bit provided with the usual passages 7, through which the water flows from the drill pipe into the hole. It will be understood, of course, that the particular form of the drilling bit forms no part of the present invention.

In operation, the screen or strainer is placed in one of the pipe sections constituting the drill stem, and the flange is of a diameter slightly greater than the inner diameter of the drill stem, so that the flange rests on and is supported by the drill stem. The next section of drill pipe is now mounted in place by means of the screw coupling 5, whereby the strainer is firmly held between the two pipe sections. Obviously the strainer may be secured between any two pipe sections, though it is preferable to place it on the top of the last section so as to facilitate the cleaning of the strainer in case it should become clogged.

I have made the flange detachable from the body portion of the screen, and the purpose of this construction is that the screen may be used with any size of drill pipe, it being only necessary to use a diflerent size flange for different size pipes, the flange employed being slightly greater in diameter than the inner diameter of the pipe used.

From the foregoing description it will be clear that I have provided a simple and efficient means for preventing the clogging of the passages in the drilling bit, such as often occurs in the present practice, and which involves the loss of much time and labor in clearing the same.

, It will also be obvious that my screen is not only most simple in construction and inexpensive in mainufacture but also it may 'be quickly and easily mounted in, or removed from, the drill pipe.

On account of the simplicity, ease of operation, and e'ihciency of construction shown and described, it constitutes the preferred form of the invention, but it is to be under stood that within the scope of the invention as claimed, numerous changes may be made Without departing from the spirit of the invention.

I-lavinp; fully described my invention, What I claim is new and desire to seein'e by Letters Patent is:

In a well drilling mechanism, a drill pipe, a drill mounted on th bottom section of said pipe. a heavy metal screen mounted in the said bottom section. screw threads provided on the top of the screen, a flan screW-threadedly mounted on the top of tli: screen, said flange being of sufficient diameter to rest on the top of the bottom drill pipe section and support the screen, a collar for connecting the bottom section with the section next above. the upper section adapted to be drawn down on the flange and firmly grip the flange between the two sections.

CHARLES H. BENCKENSTEIN. 

